I know I said back in July that I would get the next chapter of MSaSP out, and now it's December, but I honestly have writer's ADD. It's like reverse-writer's block. I can think up and plan and envision entire stories, and do ALL the time (part of the problem is that there are so many), but when it comes to actually putting them down, the ADD kicks in. The thing is, I don't actually have real ADD. I'm weird. Also, it will take a while to churn all this out. I have 5 (6[7]) stories currently planned, school, videogames, general laziness, writer's-ADD, and maybe some stage crew. So…yeah. Anyway, this is to be an FE7 novelization from the tactician's POV (where the tact. is a Fire Emblem fan who gets trapped in the game. Clichéd? Sure, but fun and easy to write.), and MSaSP is the first story in a series of 3, then I also have and a modern AU centered around Karla. She doesn't get enough attention from writers. Oh, and an FE7/Amber Chronicles crossover. For the epic win. And non-fan-fic-stuff. Anyway, I now end this horribly long Author's Note, and give you, CHAPTER 1! Or PROLOGUE! Or WHATEVER-THIS-IS!
CHAPTER 1
Between the Idea and the Reality
Mark Freeman was pissed.
Mark was pissed a lot when his three-year-elder sister was home from college. A lot. Anna Freeman just had a way of getting on the seventeen-year-old's nerves. Whether she was taking up the couch, leaving her things (mostly clothes) everywhere, eating his food, or generally being a bothersome, nosy, obnoxious older sister, she was doing something. This time was something much worse.
She was interrupting his videogame time.
"I told you, no, you can't use my DS," he shouted back at the girl standing in the doorway to his room. Physically, the two were incredibly different. Anna was slim, blonde-haired, neat looking, in shape, and several inches shorter than her younger brother. Mark was about 5'6" (he told himself 5'7"), had messy, brown hair, and was holding onto a few extra pounds. Not enough to be considered fat, but admittedly heavier than he likely should be. He was also stronger, and proving that fact now.
"I left the Gameboy in Cindy's car! Now let me play my game," shot back Anna, as she made a grab for the silver Nintendo DS in Mark's hand.
"You mean you left my Gameboy, that you stole, in someone else's car," Mark countered, holding back his sibling with one hand, and trying to move Hector into position to slaughter some morphs with the other. "Besides, all you play is Gex. You can't even play Gameboy Color games on the DS." He, of course, knew this argument wouldn't make a difference. If Anna was anything, it was persistent, and Mark knew she wouldn't stop bugging him. Seventeen years had taught him that.
"Just give me the damn thing. You're just playing that same game again anyways!"
She had him there. Fire Emblem was Mark's favorite game, of Mark's favorite game series. He had picked up the game when it first came out in America and had been playing it consistently since. It wasn't that he hadn't beaten it yet; it was just the greatest game to have ever been invented! Addicting gameplay, complex, in-depth plot, and most importantly, characters. A lot of them. Mark lived for good characters, in any media, and Fire Emblem had the best. He knew these people perhaps better than he knew himself. Did this make him a nerd? Maybe, but at least he didn't write fan-fiction about them.
Then again, none of this would stop his sister, and soon she would start to get violent.
"Ow!" Damn.
There it was.
As Mark rubbed his head, Anna made another move for the DS, this time managing to get her thumb on the power button as she grabbed it. The screen flickered off as Lloyd Reed counter-attacked with the light brand, killing Hector. Double-damn. "Goddamnit, Anna! Now I have to restart that level, again. I-" Mark stopped.
"I don't care about your level, I just want to-"
Mark toned her out. The DS screen was white. Not black, white. And bright. And was it – was it getting brighter, or what? And what was that buzzing noise coming fro-
Mark blacked out. Huh.
~ I am not the Alpha…__________________________
Mark came to very slowly. He felt hot, his head hurt, his back was mildly sore, and the sun shone red through his closed eyelids. Sun? Sun. Must've fallen asleep on the couch…sun angles through the window at…four o'clock? Four. Mark opened his eyes.
He was not, in fact, on the couch downstairs. He was…outside?
Mark blinked.
Yup. He was outside, surrounded only by green grass and blue sky. There were no trees or buildings in sight. Just…grass. Thefuck? This is even more desolate than the mid-west. Mark shook his head to clear it. "How much did I drink?" Did Tony dump me somewhere?
He heard a groan in response. Mark turned, and there on the ground behind him was Anna. Wearing…what? Wearing strange, medieval/fantasy-looking clothes. Mark looked down at himself, and he was wearing the same thing: a heavy, dark green cloak, a simple brown shirt, faded brown (closer to tan, actually) pants, and leather boots, belt, and gloves. Doublefuck? I know this looks familiar…shit. Fuck. Fucking shit.
Medieval clothes, green cloak, brown hair, waking up in the plains, mind for military strategy. Named Mark, even. The Tactician. "From Fire Emblem," he said out loud.
Well this is pretty damn clichéd, now isn't it? Not to mention impossible. Means I must be dreaming. Ummm…just go along with it until I wake up?
Anna began to stir as he was thinking. A pained look came over her face as she pushed herself up. "Damn hangover," she moaned, oblivious so far to the situation. The blonde's eyes went wide, however, soon enough. "Mark?" she asked, a look of confusion, and maybe even fear, crossing her face. "What- Where are we, and how did we get here? W-we were in your room, and then-"
The memories came rushing back. And then the DS. And the flash. And now in Fire Emblem.
"This is real, isn't it," Mark muttered. "Not a dream, not a weird trip, not part of a bad plot in some lame teenager's story. This is real."
"What are you-"
"We are in Fire Emblem."
They talked while they walked. Or at least Mark talked while they walked. It had taken a long time trying to explain the situation, but now Mark was in control. He knew this game inside and out. Every character, every level, every event that happens. The problem was, Anna didn't.
"Now repeat back what I told you," Mark commanded.
Anna sighed. "We're from southern Bern. Bern is east of here. We left home planning to work our way to Ilia where you would find a job. Ilia is to the north, Etruria is to the west, and Lycia is to the South. We were attacked by bandits and they stole our things, which is why we have no supplies or anything."
Like he said, Mark knew this game inside and out. After trying to find his bearings and leaving in the direction that Mark though was north-east (though he had no clue if he was right), he began educating his sister. Just the basics that she would need to know for people to actually believe the pair was from Elibe. Oh yeah. "The continent is called Elibe. Remember that." Nothing plot-related that she could accidentally give away to someone. Mark wasn't that stupid.
"If you know what's going to happen," began Anna tiredly, "when are we getting wherever it is we're walking?"
"Hmm?" Mark glanced at her as he walked. "Oh, we'll just keep walking until we pass out from exhaustion. I hope this is the right direction."
Anna stopped dead in her tracks. "Excuse me?" she asked, anger rising in her voice. Mark turned to face her as he stopped too.
"Yeah. See, we need to be found unconscious on the plains by someone. That's how the game starts. Thing is, I don't know where in the plains we're supposed to be, where we started, and which way is north. So basically my plan is to wander until we're found."
"There is no way I'm walking aimlessly though nowhere until I collapse!" Anna yelled.
"Suit yourself," Mark replied casually, and resumed his walking. She was quick to follow.
"It could be worse." We could be stuck in Radiant Dawn.
It takes a surprisingly long time to pass out from exhaustion. That night they slept on the ground, cold, hungry and tired, but not hungry and tired enough, apparently. The second day went much in the same way as the first. Mark continued educating Anna about the world they found themselves in, lest she be caught not knowing something that she should, and Mark relished his new position of control over his sister.
The day still sucked, however. It was bright, it was hot, they had no food or water, and they were still walking. There was a rain towards the end of the day and into nightfall, giving them some water but making sleep nearly impossible from the cold and wet. On the third day, there was nothing left to talk about, but they were weak enough from the conditions that they wouldn't want to waste energy on talking anyway. On the fourth day, Anna finally collapsed, barely after they got started. Mark didn't last too much longer afterwards.
Waking, Mark found himself under a plain, brown, cloth roof. He was the most comfortable he had been in days, resting on what felt to be a pile of furs, and would have drifted back to sleep if not for- "Are you awake?" a voice asked. Mark grunted, and turned his head. In the entrance of the tent –ger– stood a tall, slim girl with long green hair. Her blue dress, slit up the sides for movement, revealed an uncomfortable amount of leg. Lyn. So it's started, has it? "I am Lyn, of the Lorca tribe. You're safe now. Who are you? Can you remember your name?"
Wow, word for word with the game script? I wonder how long that'll last. Mark shook his head to clear it and cleared his throat. "Yes, my name Mark."
"Your name is Mark? What an odd-sounding name... But pay me no mind. It is a good name."
Well this'll get old quick, won't it. I cannot begin to count the times I've read those lines. A thought emerged in his head. "Is…I was travelling with my sister, is she alright?" he asked, worry beginning to creep into his voice. Anna was…not made for this, to say the least.
"Is that who she is? Yes, she is fine. She is just over there, actually," she responded, gesturing behind him. Mark turned to look and sure enough, Anna was on another pile of furs like his, still unconscious. Relief flooded though him. I wonder where she got all these furs. "I see by your attire that you are a traveler," Lyn continued. "What brings you to the Sacae plains? Would you share your story with me?"
And this is why we –I– prepared a story. Yay, preparedness! "Of course. My sister and I-"
He was interrupted by a crash. "Hm? What was that noise? I'll go see what's happening. Mark, wait here for me." Well, we all know what's going to happen now. Mark rolled off his pile of furs and picked himself off the ground. A wave of vertigo passed over him as he stood, but he fought it off. God, I'm still weak. Lyn came dashing back inside. "Bandits! They must have come down from the Bern mountains! They must be planning on raiding the local villages. I... I have to stop them!" The girl took up a curved sword from a rack in the tent. Arabian. Scimitar? Kilij? "If that's all of them, I think I can handle them on my own. You'll be safe in here, Mark." Despite her reassuring words, her tone was not in the least bit confident. And her statement was full of too many subjunctives.
"Wait," Mark interrupted as she moved for the door again. "Let me go with you."
Lyn looked back at him doubtfully. "What? You want to help? You're in no such condition. Can you even use a weapon?"
"I admit I have no real training with the sword, but I might be able to handle myself. But what I meant was, I know something of tactics and battle strategies and may be able to help there." Now who's using too many subjunctives?
"Ah, I see... So you're a strategist by trade? An odd profession, but... Very well. We'll go together!" The two left the tent quietly, Mark trailing behind Lyn holding a sword of his own that he had picked from the rack. It was heavier than the wooden ones he and friends fought with sometimes, yet not as heavy as he expected. Like "The Thirteenth Warrior". They stopped behind a pair of trees that blocked Lyn's ger from the sight of the bandits. Lyn turned to him. "If you want to help, Mark, I could use your advice. I admit I've…never been in a true fight before. But I'll protect you, so stay close to me."
"Well that's comforting." Mark couldn't tell what emotion Lyn was trying to convey with the look she shot him, but he had a feeling it wasn't a good one. "Sorry. We need to get closer. Let's advance on the one up there." Mark pointed, and the pair moved up. The bandits hadn't noticed them yet. "This should be close enough. Let him come to us." Mark clapped his hands to get the bandits attention, then dropped into a low, crouching stance. I hope I look like I know what I'm doing. Lyn adopted a similar pose as the huge, muscled axe-wielder ran towards them, shouting.
As the bandit reached them, he swung down with his axe in a narrow arc. Lyn stepped to her left while Mark dodged to the right, Mark now positioning himself like a fencer. He leaped in and made a shallow slash against the bandit's lower back. As the brute lifted his axe in Mark's direction, Lyn dove in for a hit against the bandit as well. The two then charged simultaneously from each side, trapping the brigand in between. The baddie retaliated and managed to score a cut on Mark's forearm, but was stopped from doing anything else by Lyn's sword piercing him through. It wasn't for a few seconds that the cut began to hurt.
"Aaow! Fuck!" Mark swore loudly.
Lyn came over, looking concerned. "I have a few vulneraries in my satchel. They should heal you up. Let me get one for you." Mark nodded in thanks as Lyn poured part of the contents of a leather water skin over his wound. The effect was a swift, cooling sensation, and almost immediately the cut closed itself. However, his arm was left feeling somewhat numb afterwards. Not to mention all-together…weird. That was a strangely unpleasant experience.
Mark raised his hand to point at something behind Lyn. "There's another bandit by the hut to the west. We should approach slowly at first, then charge when he's off guard. I have a feeling he won't move to us." As they went forward, the blonde bandit spoke up.
"Who do you think you are? You think you can stand up to Batta the Beast, famed throughout the land?" The brigand shouted in challenge.
"I've heard of no Batta the Beast," countered Mark, "Only Batta the Babe, who couldn't stand up to his own mother. Now have at us!" Batta roared in anger and raised his axe to his shoulder, ready to prove why he really was called The Beast.
"I don't think that was a good idea," Lyn whispered to Mark. He grimaced.
"Sorry. Let's go." Once again, Mark and Lyn charged together, but there was a reason why Batta was in command of the other bandit. He easily turned aside both their blows with his broad axe. He shoved Lyn aside with his shoulder and smacked Mark's sword out of his grip, sending it flying.
"Mark!" he heard someone yell, and he turned. "Anna! Get back in the-" he was interrupted by a meaty fist to the face and he went to the ground. Before the bandit could finish him, however, Lyn sank her sword into the man's shoulder. Batta spun his swing, and caught Lyn in the side, red blood seeping into the blue fabric of the dress.
"It all comes down to this next blow," she shouted. "Mark, if I fall, I want you to flee. You must escape!" Mark nodded to her, though he knew he needn't have. Batta swung hard and fast, in what would have been a decapitating blow, but Lyn was no longer there. Instead she was to his left. And his right. And behind him. As the three Lyns faded from view, just as many cuts appeared on Batta's body. Suddenly, Lyn was standing in front of him again, her sword held high. In one swift movement, she drove it through Batta's heart and he fell to the ground.
Lyn walked over and offered Mark her hand. He took it and let her pull him to his feet. "You're hurt," he said, as Lyn suddenly sagged a little. The two supported each other as the walked back to Lyn's ger. Once they were about thirty meters away, Mark saw Anna running towards them as his vision faded. He dropped to the ground.
Waking, Mark found himself under a plain, brown, cloth roof.
What-"Good morning, Mark! Are you awake yet?" Too cheerful, Lyn. Far too cheerful for anytime before noon. Mark groaned out an incoherent rumble of curses. "That fight yesterday must have taken a lot out of you." He shifted.
"What happened?" he managed to ask as he rolled over and started his process of getting up.
"The fight, or immediately after?" Lyn asked back. Mark shot her a glance and pointed at the his cheek where the bandit had socked him. Lyn laughed, "After, then. On our way back, you passed out, probably from exhaustion again. You still haven't had a chance to eat anything, have you?" Mark's empty stomach rumbled and he shook his head sheepishly. "Sorry," Lyn responded, and crossed to the other side of the tent –no, yurt –no, ger–– "I have some food over here. Anyway, your sister helped me get you back to the ger, helped me a little with my wound, and told me your story." Please, god, tell me she didn't mess anything up! "That's quite an ordeal, crossing the plains to Ilia. Even had you not been attacked by bandits, you might not have made it." She handed him a bowl containing rice and some meat and vegetables that he couldn't identify.
Mark flinched, but accepted the bowl. "Yeah, we may not have thought it through all the way. Sacae is," What's a good lie? "emptier than I expected. Not many people. Speaking of people, where is Anna?"
"Outside. She did not like being stuck in the ger. Where will you go after this?"
Mark paused a moment and hoped he looked like he was thinking about the question. "I suppose we'll either continue on to Ilia, or head south to Lycia. I could probably find mercenary work in either place, and that's what we need right now." He saw Anna slip in through quietly through the door flap.
"If that's the case, I have a request of the two of you." Who called it? I called it.
"Of course."
"I…you have some experience in the ways of war, I can see," Lyn began a looking of longing and desperation crossing her face. After a quick moment, perhaps of nervousness, she blurted, "Would you allow me to travel with you?" And here it-
"What? Shouldn't you get some sort of permission from your parents first?" Huh. Mark glanced at his sister. Well that was extremely coincidental, he thought. There's no way Anna knew to say that.
"You…want me to get permission from my parents?" Lyn was presumably shocked, from the tone of her voice. Still, damn lucky!
"Well, of course," Mark butted in. "Surely they would have something to say about this."
"My parents…" Lyn shook her head and turned her eyes to the ground. "My mother and my father, they died six months ago. My people, the Lorca, they don't-" She looked up at the pair. "I'm the last of my tribe."
The look on Anna's face was one of horror and confusion. "Lyn- I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"No, it's…it's okay. I've just been alone for so long, I need to say this. They came down from the mountains, bandits, and…they killed so many people. The tribe was shattered. My father was our chieftain, and I tried to protect our people. But I'm so young, and our people were old-fashioned. They wouldn't follow a woman. No one would follow me." She sniffed and wiped her eyes of tears. "I'm sorry, I won't cry anymore. No more tears."
"Lyn, it's okay to cry if you need to," Mark whispered.
"I've cried so much though. I'm past crying. Mark, I want— I must become stronger, so that I may avenge my father's death! Yesterday's battle taught me something. I won't become stronger by sitting here alone. Mark, tell me you'll train me, that you'll let me travel with you!"
Mark stood then. "Of course, Lyn. I wouldn't stop you from coming with us."
Game start.
Okay. Chapter one, done (-rhymes). I won't give a timetable for the next chapter, since I have no clue. I promised the next part of Mounted Swordsman and Secluded Princess the next week, and look what happened. I likely could get the next part of this out in a week, but no guarantees. This chapter I could have finished faster than I did, but my sleep schedule has been off all week, I've been really tired, and I don't write much during the daytime hours. I also have multiple projects in school, so that could interfere, but I don't know. Also, if you have read the chapter I've posted of MSaSP, you should know that I plan to completely restart the project differently. It'll work out better to be written and posted, and may actually be done. So I'll be working on more than one fic at once, most likely. I don't know when/if I'll get to my Karla fic or Amber crossover, but if I do, expect chapter timing changes.
Now, since I am very self-conscious about my writing, and very critical about it, please review and tell me what you think or if there's something I could do better in my writing. Or say it's great so I'll stop being so critical at myself for hating my writing. Either one (the second may make me update faster and write my other fics, though).